Giulio Ciccone was so excited for Il Lombardia, but his love-hate relationship with Italy sadly continues
Cycling
Normally, one could rule out Giulio Ciccone's name for the Tour of Lombardy. The Italian might participate on Saturday, but after a harsh crash in Tre Valli Varesine, his chances of success in the year's last Monument are almost nil. This comes just as Cicco's legs were starting to turn in time for "his" autumn classics.
Ciccone was taken away by stretcher when he crashed on a descent on the Montello last Tuesday in Tre Valli Varesine. No fractures were diagnosed in the hospital, but the climber had (and still has) a lot of pain in his pelvis and vertebrae. The impact of the crash caused severe bruising, his team Lidl-Trek reported later in the evening.
It's a significant setback for Ciccone, who, after the Tour de France, had set everything in motion to make a mark in the Italian autumn. As he did earlier this year with stage victories in the Tour of Valencia, the Tour of Catalonia, and the Dauphiné. He also finished fifth in the Tirreno-Adriatico general classification. However, his relationship with Italy took a big hit in May when a COVID-19 infection prevented him from starting in the Giro d'Italia.
Read more below the photo.
The 28-year-old Ciccone hit back hard by winning the mountain classification in the Tour de France. After a rest period, he prepared for the Italian autumn classics through the Trofeo Matteotti and the Tour of Luxembourg. He finished among the best in the Giro dell'Emilia but told IDLProCycling.com he was far from satisfied with his eighth-place finish. "The pace was a bit too fast on the last climb, but it was a good day for me. Not the best result, but we have another week ahead and remain focused on the upcoming races. My form is good," he said.
This showcased Ciccone's ambitions; he genuinely wanted a top result in the Tour of Lombardy. "The Giro dell'Emilia was important to me because I love this race, but the pace was slightly too fast. However, the focus is later this week." That ambition seems to be dashed now. His love-hate relationship with Italy will need to be broken in 2024.
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024